Nelson stow



N. vSTOW. Sign.

No. 225,889. Patented Mar. 23,1880.

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/m QQ SPECIFICATIDN forming part of Letters Patent No. 225,889, dated March 23, 1880.

Application filed August 5. 1879.

To all whom fait may concern Be it known that I, NELSON STOW, of Binghamton, in the county ot' Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Signs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to signs ot' that class having' movable letters, figures, or symbols; and it consists of certain new combinations ot' devices with letters, marks, symbols, or figures, which are set forth at the end of the specification.

The objectof my invention is to provide a. sign having movable letters, figures, or symbols so organized that while in motion said letters give the sign a wave-like or siuuous appearance.

The accompanying drawings show my improvements as embodied in the best way now known to me.

Figure l is a face view ot' a sign constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, and Fig. 3 is a horizontal section ot' certain parts of the apparatus.

A suitable frame, A, of the required size or dimensions, is provided at its upper end, pret'- crably, with an auxiliary frame, A, in which is mounted a series ot' vertical guides or parti tions, il, in each of which a plate or carrier, a, connected with a letter, sign, symbol, or device moves freely, being reeiprocatcd up and down by means oi" suitable conuecting-rmls or pitmen C, the upper ends of which are jointed to the letter-carrying plates, as clearly shown in Figs. 2 and 3, while the lower ends of said pitmen are connected with cranks d, spirally arranged or formed upon a suitable shat't, l), turning iu bearings in the frame A, and driven or revolved by any suitable means, a belt-pulley, ll, being shown iu the present example as the device for turning' or revolving the shaft.

The cranks (l are organized and arranged spiral] y, it will be observed, or, in other words, are ar'anged so as to be in different planes one with another, as clearly shown in Fie. 1, whereby, as the shaft l) is revolved, the letters or figures are caused t0 move rapidly up and down alternately, one letter traveling or moving upwardly while the next is moving downwardly, the result being that the sign is given, while the letters are in motion, a beautiful wave-like or sinuous appearance, well calculated to attract the attention of the eye.

rlhe sign proper is composed, in the present instance, ot' t'our letters, F L E X; but it will be obvious that any number of letters may be employed, and that the letters may be either ot' the same or ot'I ditl'erent styles or colors, and that numbers, marks, or symbols other than letters may be used, as may please the fancy or serve the requirement ot' the owner.

The letters are preferably formed by stamping them out t'ronra sheet ot' metal, which constitutes, in this example, the carrier to which the pitman is connected, a glass or other suitable transparent backing, a', being applied tothe back ot' the letters, as shown in Fig. 3.

A lamp or burner is placed at the back of the sign at night to render the letters conspicuous, the sign at such time presenting a beautiful appearance and quickly attracting the eye.

The sign in Fig. l is shown as open at the bottom to expose to view the crank-shaft. and the connecting-pitmen; but it will be understood that these parts are to be covered up or obscured in use.

l claim as my inventionl. The combination, substantially as hereinbetbrc set forth, ot' a series of movable let ters or iigures, the crank-shaft, alid the jointed connections between saidletters and shaft, whereby a sign is produced which, when the letters are in motion, presents a wave-like appcarance.

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbciore set forth, ot' the main frame, the auxiliary frame provided with a series ot' guides, the movable letters fitted in said guides so as to be reciprocated therein, a crank-shaft connected with said letters by a series of pitmen, and the pulley or mechanism for driving said shaft, whereby, when turned,said shaft iniparts motion to said letters and gives the sign a wave-like appearance.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own .I allix lny signature in presence of two witnesses.

NELSON STOW. XVitnesses WM. L. GuiswoLn, U. 0. ROOT. 

